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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246199">The Unlearned Code</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikugin/pseuds/crescere%20stella'>crescere stella (ikugin)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Claude von Riegan Needs a Hug, Discrimination, First Day of School, Gen, Growing Up, Pre-Canon, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:00:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246199</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikugin/pseuds/crescere%20stella</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s the first day of school for the students of the Officer’s Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery, and you are none other than the mysterious dukedom heir of the Leicester Alliance, Khalid "Claude" von Riegan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Unlearned Code</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     As a child, Khalid had a knack for being prepared for everything. He knew exactly where the palace caretaker hid the keys to the library, which shelf had the best snacks, and how to escape a dagger to his neck in the middle of the night. So when it came to his first day of school at the Officer’s Academy, Khalid had thoroughly prepared himself for this. It was going to be his first time meeting other people from Fodlan that were not closely affiliated with his family — if he could even call Judith or his grandfather that, really — and honestly? He might just be a <em>little</em> nervous. </p><p> </p><p>     His mother had already done him a great service of warning him when he had voiced his decision to her. Khalid remembered vividly her cautious narrowed eyes, like emeralds glinting in the darkness of knowledge. She wore this expression every time he had told her that something or someone was bothering him, although that wasn’t often. It was not that he was scared of her, it was just that he felt that since they were his problems, he should deal with it himself. Despite the numerous assassination attempts on his life, his mother and father had adopted the philosophy that Khalid should be able to do as he pleased, as long as he did not end up dead at the end of the day. They knew he was smart, and so they entrusted him with this responsibility. But while Khalid was grateful for the freedom, he disliked how their detachment had led him to sleeping with a dagger under his pillow every night.</p><p> </p><p>     One other time that he could recount seeing his mother’s fierce eyes was after a particular meeting with Khalid’s cousins. His cousins were as Almyran as you could expect them to be; strong-willed, deterministic, and brawny. This however, spelt trouble for him. You see, he was never really one for brute strength and preferred to manipulate the other cards in his hand, and in that regard he was like his father — but he was never one to jump on the opportunity to prove that he was strong in other regards. Upon hearing this, his cousins called him a pacifist. One of them in particular, the biggest and burliest of the bunch, had pushed him over. Calling him a Fodlan born rat who didn’t deserve to be the crown prince of Almyra. Khalid has tried to fight back, saying things in retaliation because who were <em>they</em> to say that — but it was only met with more laughter and torment. He still remembers, being four years old being overshadowed by them, their eyes constantly boring holes into his figure and laughing at him. He had cried then in confusion, running back to his mother. She held him, wiping away his tears. When he had calmed down, she would stare deep into his own emerald eyes, a perfect mirror to hers that were full of verdant fire. She would say to him, with a composure of a war general:</p><p> </p><p>     “You’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for, Khalid. Don’t you think it’s about time you used it to your advantage?”</p><p> </p><p>     That sparked the flame in his mind. His relationship with his parents might be complicated, but he still held what his mother said close to his heart as he grew up. He worked hard to hone his own blade — his strategic mind was a boon, and even as young as ten, his father had praised his ingenuity when he sat by him in his meetings, with every distrustful glare thrown at him as a sort of medal that he was more than what they garnered for. But of course, being witty and knowledgeable does not equal being able to predict the future, so he settled for the paranoia of each new person he met, hoping they weren’t here to kill him. It did not help that his own step siblings would constantly drill it in his head that despite him being the prince of his own nation, he never really belonged. So he opted to just believe it instead. </p><p> </p><p>     He never really understood why they had called people from Fodlan cowards — his mother was the strongest person he knew. Surely, she wasn’t the only one.</p><p> </p><p>     Thus, when his grandfather had asked for him to inherit the Riegan Dukedom, he didn’t decline. His father said little about the matter, wishing for Khalid to be free to do as he pleased. He still wonders how he governed Almyra like that, but with consideration of how he can foresee himself having a succession crisis in the future… Yeah, let’s not think about that. Nevertheless, his parents are a distant memory for now. He needs to focus on his current predicament at hand. </p><p> </p><p>     Today is Khalid’s first day at the Officer’s Academy. Well, to correct himself — it’s <strong>Claude’s </strong>first day at the Officer’s Academy. He thought that it would be better to use something familiar sounding to the citizens of Fodlan, hoping it would ease off the unusual way he was appearing in the academy itself. Can’t have people realising he’s not from Fodlan right? He still has yet to get used to it though. So much work just to be accepted huh. The Golden Deer classroom is strategically placed as the first classroom on the block, followed by the Blue Lions and the Black Eagles respectively. It’s a good thing for him, because that means he can sneak around while being mostly unnoticed before making his grand entrance. As he walks down through the corridors however, the gossip naturally floats up to his ears.</p><p> </p><p>     <em>Have you heard?</em> A student says, <em>Duke Riegan’s grandson is this year’s Golden Deer House Leader, but no one has ever heard or seen him before! </em>Claude scoffed. Of course no one has heard of him before, his mother specifically ran away for the reason of not being found! His grandfather didn’t even dare to go looking for her, until she proved to be a boon to his plans. Typical. Everyone’s just the same about everywhere, huh? Always working on an ulterior motive. Not like he wasn’t the same either. But at the very least, he wants to believe that his motive was at least nobler than the others. He didn’t just accept the offer to come to the Officer’s Academy without a plan, after all.</p><p> </p><p>     Claude sucked in a deep breath as he approached the Golden Deer classroom. Why was he so scared? He should be excited to have the opportunity to truly grasp his dream — the academy was a place full of bustling life from all ends of Fodlan and beyond. It also wasn’t as if this entire experience was going to kill him anyway. Claude’s hopes and dreams of Fodlan being more open than Almyra were dashed when he met his grandfather. The old man had that desperate smile on his face when he saw his mother and Claude for the first time in a long time. Despite his hospitality, his backhanded remarks about his heritage did not go unseen, no matter how much Claude wanted to close an eye to it. His mother was no different than usual, her tone laced in a fury ridden knife to his grandfather’s throat each time he commented about Claude. One of the many reasons why his father loved her, and one of his personal reminders to never get on her bad side. But he still loved her all the same. Her free-spirited and steadfast personality was Claude’s proof that Fodlan people weren’t cowards, and propelled him further to believe that he could prove it to others too. </p><p> </p><p>     The Golden Deer classroom is just about the same as any other classroom in Garreg Mach Monastery. The only difference laid with the Leicester Alliance tapestries that hung on the walls. This is it, he thinks, as he stops before the door, today is the day that he can start working towards that dream he had as a child who stared at the night sky — to gain the power to break down the walls between two different nations that were more similar than they thought. What use were walls when the grass was just as green on both sides? Was it not much more beneficial for them to share?</p><p> </p><p>     When Claude first steps into the classroom, he knows he should not feel any different. But he feels like a child again, when he feels a dozen different eyes boring into his soul like his father’s disgruntled advisors, step siblings, and cousins. Logically as he observes the room, little have noticed him, enamored in their own idle chatter. The moment eyes drift to him however, his logic is lost to him. <em>They are talking about you</em>, his mind whispers, but he bats it away. He can deal with that self-doubt later when he’s alone, thank you very much. A girl with very pink twintails approaches him, unbothered by the oddity in his appearance. That’s a first.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hi!” She greeted, with a tone that bordered fake but cheery enough to mask it, “You must be our House Leader this year! My name is Hilda Valentine Goneril, nice to meet you,”</p><p> </p><p>     House Goneril is the noble house responsible for handling Fodlan’s Locket. He slides into an easy smile, despite knowing that this girl’s family was responsible for fighting off his country’s forces for decades. Maybe it could change starting with her. </p><p> </p><p>     “It seems that I am!” He responded, “The name’s Claude von Riegan. You might know me as the heir of the Riegan Dukedom, but I rather prefer if you thought of me as someone as equal as you. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”</p><p> </p><p>     He hopes that his introduction wasn’t clunky, knowing that he only had a month and a half to read up Fodlan’s weird nobility etiquette. How did his mother survive this, he had no idea. Regardless, he doesn’t have time to think too much about it, as Hilda positively beams at him. </p><p> </p><p>     “How nice of you!” She replied, “I hope we can be good friends then, I so would love to hear where you’ve been all this time,”</p><p> </p><p>     “I wouldn’t mind telling you, if you know how to ask the right questions, of course.” He gave a playful wink. </p><p> </p><p>     Hilda hummed with intrigue. “You should sit with me and Marianne! Class is starting soon anyway,”</p><p> </p><p>     He nodded along, as she dragged him over to her table. He spots a glare from across the room from a student that seemed to have a haircut problem with his purple hair, but he doesn’t think too much of it. Claude met his eyes with a smile, and the student’s face scrunched up further. He hides his giggle to himself. This is going to be a fun year, huh?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was my first attempt to get a feel of Claude's character! I relate to Claude a lot as a POC, and writing this little character study kind of put me in a daze thinking about how I grew up similarly as an outsider like him too. With that said, I absolutely adore mr khalid "claude" von riegan to bits &lt;3</p><p>thank you for reading! come scream at me <a href="https://twitter.com/cylxius">on my twitter!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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